Dental and medical professionals use many instruments that are controlled by foot control systems. For example, surgical cutting instruments, endoscopic tools, irrigation and aspiration tools, dental drills and other handpieces, ultrasonic dental scalers, and dental prophylaxis units can be activated with foot control systems. The foot control system typically includes a foot pedal device that is placed on the floor within easy reach of the practitioner. The foot pedal is used to activate a dental/medical apparatus, which includes a base-operating unit. The foot pedal is typically connected to the base unit by a connector cable in a “hard-wired” system.
Alternatively, remote, “wireless” foot control systems, which do not use a connector cable, can be used to activate the base unit in some instances. In such arrangements, a flexible instrument cable connects the dental/medical instrument, for example, a dental handpiece, to the base unit. The dental or medical practitioner activates the base unit and attached dental/medical instrument by depressing the foot pedal with his or her foot.
Some conventional foot pedals are referred to as multi-position or multi-staged switches. An operator depresses the pedal of the foot pedal to a certain position, and this action causes the dental/medical apparatus to operate in a specific mode. The particular operational mode is based on the position of the foot pedal. For example, with a two-position foot pedal, a dental practitioner can depress the pedal to a first position so that water flows through the handpiece for rinsing the teeth of a patient. Then, the pedal of the foot pedal can be depressed to a second position so that a cleaning spray flows through the handpiece for cleaning the teeth. Such foot control systems provide several advantages.
First, the foot pedal device is easy to use and efficient. The dental/medical professional can activate the instrument attached to the base unit by simply depressing the foot pedal with his or her foot. Secondly, the dental/medical practitioner's hands are kept free when working with a foot pedal device. The practitioner thus can handle other instruments and accessories while treating the patient. The practitioner is better able to concentrate on performing the needed dental/medical procedure. Thirdly, as mentioned above, some conventional foot pedals are used in wireless systems, which do not run a connector cable between the foot pedal and base unit. These wireless foot pedals are used to remotely activate the base unit and attached dental/medical instruments. Many dental/medical operatory rooms contain numerous long cords, cables, wires, and the like which can become entangled easily. The entangled cords and cables take up space and may cause potential safety hazards. A wireless foot pedal system helps minimize some of these hazards.
Existing controllers may employ a single foot pedal to control multiple devices. Such an arrangement generally requires the use of an internal switch board or a gating system mounted within the foot pedal to permit the user to select the desired device, e.g., by entering a unique code, that is to be controlled by the foot pedal. This proposed control methodology eliminates the need for a user to use a switch board or gating system to select the desired instrument which is being controlled and instead the selection is made automatically as the user picks up the desired instrument.
Foot pedal functions are not readily reconfigurable, and modifying the function of existing foot pedals can be a time consuming and complex operation. Reconfiguring a foot pedal typically requires a custom mechanical assembly or unique switch contact selection that changes the operating mode of the associated foot pedal.